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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · wax · spring · firm · nail · rash · stand · march

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spring — the season
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. rash — a series
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rash — hasty
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spring — of water
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. firm — a company
  20. march — the month
  21. firm — decided
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. firm — steady
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com